Monday, October 15, 2012

AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY OF 9/11: NOW WE KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO GORE

Lefties have said for years that if Al Gore had been president in 2001 and hadn't prevented the 9/11 attacks, Republicans would have impeached him; they certainly wouldn't have rallied around the president, as Democrats did in the immediate aftermath of the real 9/11.

We haven't really had any incidents in the Obama years that have been comparable -- until now, of course. And the reaction to the killings in Benghazi on 9/11/12 pretty much answer our Gore question. Right-wing blog headlines from yesterday:

* National Review: "Axelrod Refuses to Say Whether Obama Met with Nat'l Security Team Before Heading to Las Vegas"
* Power Line: "AXELROD BOBS AND WEAVES OVER OBAMA'S LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THE DAY OF THE BENGHAZI ATTACK"
* Daily Caller: "David Axelrod blames State Department for security issues at Benghazi consulate"

How soon did the political establishmenht start talking about getting to the bottom of 9/11? (The 9/11 Commission was established 442 days after the attacks took place.) Now, you could argue that what's happening in Benghazi is happening because it's election season -- but Republicans tried to turn Fast and Furious and Solyndra into scandals long before this fall. You could say the atmosphere is more poisoned and partisan now than in 2001 -- but it's not tea party crazies who are hammering away at this, it's mainstream Republicans like Lindsey Graham.

Will Obama be impeached over this if he's reelected? I think he'll be impeached for something, or at least there'll be serious consideration of articles of impeachment in the House. It might as well be this as anything else.